Customer Service IS Marketing
I’ve been involved in several debates lately about how you define marketing. Some of the brightest people I know still mistakenly believe that marketing is the same as advertising and CPC campaigns. While advertising is one tactic sometimes used in an overall marketing strategy, until you understand that marketing is all about how your company is perceived and how that perception can drive sales / growth. etc, then you’ll be missing the boat in a big way. Marketing should define how your account people interact with your clients, how your website or product looks and feels, and how you interact with your audience at all levels.
I was reminded of that today in a big way.
I received a package today from Sweetwater Musical Supply. It was the second time I had ordered from them and I am not a musical expert – both orders were for my kids who are progressing in their musical interest and capabilities.
The first time I ordered form them, I had a really hard time (iow, a freaking nightmare) getting the ProTools software I ordered to work on my son’s Mac. While it was not Sweetwater’s fault that the software wasn’t working, Matt at Sweetwater went out of his way to make sure that I was able to get it working. The difference between dealing with Matt and with Avid customer service couldn’t have been more stark. Before calling Avid, I had to take a few deep breaths and prepare myself for the laissez-fair attitude (yes, I restarted. yes, I upgraded – which took all freaking night long and then didn’t work twice, yes, I downloaded the patch, blah, blah, blah) I knew I was about to deal with. Matt, on the other hand, went out of his way to make sure that I was able to get it working – even offerring to intervene with Avid if need be.
When I needed a new keyboard for my daughter, I called Matt again. I’m sure I could have easily found the keyboard cheaper somewhere else online, but I really didn’t care. He had clearly earned my loyalty based on the first interaction. I discussed the pros and cons of a few different keyboards based on what my son and daughter needed and he helped me make a decision – slightly different from what I was originally thinking.
When I received the delivery today and opened that package, there was a bunch of Tootsie Rolls and peppermint candies in the shipping box along with my keyboard. Then I remembered that he knew the keyboard was for my kids.
If you need musical equipment, call Matt at Sweetwater (800) 222-4700 ext 1363.
In case you missed it, that’s marketing. Way to go @SweetwaterSound.